Microsoft to Expand its Dublin Data Centre to Support Growing Demand for its Cloud Services

News > Microsoft to Expand its Dublin Data Centre to Support Growing Demand for its Cloud Services

Press Release
23 Feb 2012

Microsoft today announced that it is investing an additional US$130 million to expand its data centre located in Dublin, Ireland. This investment builds on the original $500m investment Microsoft has already made in the Dublin data centre, which has been operational since July 2009, providing computing capacity to customers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

During a visit to Dublin, Peter Klein, Chief Financial Officer, Microsoft Corporation said “This investment shows where we are placing our bets for the future. As customers embrace Microsoft cloud services such as Office 365, Windows Live, Xbox Live, Bing and the Windows Azure platform, we are investing in regional cloud infrastructure to meet their needs.''

“We are delighted to build on the long history of Microsoft investment and partnership in Ireland, starting in 1985. As we expand our Dublin data centre, we remain committed to efficiency and sustainability. Our expanded facility will be 50 percent more efficient than traditional data centres, and will use renewable wind energy when available. I would like to thank the Irish government and its agencies – particularly the IDA – for its continued support for Microsoft as we grow and invest here,” Mr. Klein concluded.

Responding to the announcement, the Taoiseach, Mr. Enda Kenny said: “We welcome this significant announcement from Microsoft as Ireland continues to regain its international reputation for investment and business. Now central to our Action Plan on Jobs we are delighted that our strategy to become the country of choice for data centres is coming to fruition. We very much recognise the role that cloud computing can play in transforming our public sector as well as being a catalyst for economic growth. Through the Action Plan on Jobs we will continue to make the necessary changes to make Ireland more attractive to companies such as Microsoft. As a long term investor we welcome this commitment by Microsoft to Ireland."

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD said: “The Government has taken a decision to target cloud computing as a sector with potential for significant job-creation and economic growth for Ireland. Today’s announcement by Microsoft, a world-leader in this area, shows that we are on the right track. Through the Action Plan for Jobs we are determined to implement a series of changes in 2012 and in subsequent years to ensure that we can build on this growth, make Ireland a world-leader in the area, and get jobs growing in the economy again.”

Paul Rellis, Managing Director, Microsoft Ireland said: “This capital investment further deepens our roots in Ireland and strengthens Microsoft’s ability to provide governments and businesses throughout the region with a growing range of impactful cloud services. We are delighted to continue to play our part to support the government in its objectives to return the country to a period of growth and prosperity.”

Welcoming the announcement, Mr. Barry O’Leary, CEO, IDA said: “Ireland has been a leading location for ICT investments over the last decade and I am delighted to see a long standing economic partner like Microsoft, with such a significant global presence, continue to recognise Ireland’s talent, track-record and positive business environment. Investments like this, by a company of Microsoft’s calibre, reinforce our growing reputation as a leading world-wide location in cloud computing.”

Christian Belady, GM of Data Center Services, Microsoft said: “Microsoft has turned up the dial on efficiency in power optimisation of the entire infrastructure of our data centres, enabling us to reduce our carbon footprint and minimize waste. This expansion will add a 112,000 square foot Generation 4 facility and create approximately 400 construction jobs over the next 12 months. Once complete, we will employ approximately 50- 70 people to manage the needs of both the existing and expanded facility.”

The data centre makes extensive use of outside air economization to cool the facility year round, resulting in greater power efficiency with a resultant reduction in carbon footprint and an annual Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) average of 1.25 across the entire facility during peak usage hours. Projected to be 50 percent more efficient than traditionally built facilities, it uses only 1 percent of the water used by other similarly sized data centres in the industry. With a strong focus on sustainability, approximately 99 percent of all waste at the facility is recycled, including packaging, pallets, crates, and cabling.

About the Data Centre:
The expansion of the data centre will help Microsoft meet growing customer demand for its cloud services, and provide a scalable and cost effective cloud infrastructure for future cloud growth. This technologically advanced facility significantly reduces water, power and energy use (compared with traditional data center facilities) and enables a more efficient and higher utilization of computing capacity and productivity.

The Dublin facility was the first Microsoft mega data centre built outside of the U.S., and was connected to the Internet on July 1, 2009 to support the company’s growing cloud services. (Initially approximately 303,000 square feet)

The expansion announced today will raise the total to 415,000 square feet of computing space at this facility and a total of 29.4 megawatts.

As part of the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability, Microsoft has met the difficult requirements and is a signatory of the European Union’s (EU) Code of Conduct for Data Centres, a voluntary program that encourages organisations responsible for the operations of data centres to utilise technologies, systems, and processes that maximise the efficient use of electricity. Further information, can be found here. The Microsoft Dublin Data Center is also an officially recognized best practice by the European Commission meeting the requirements of the Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign (www.sustenergy.org) in contributing to the achievement of making a voluntary commitment to the EU energy policy goals in the field of energy efficiency.

Microsoft is one of the largest online service providers to sign the EU’s Code of Conduct for Data Centres. The company’s participation includes continuing to develop and employ systems and processes that deliver computing scale to meet its evolving cloud services business initiatives with the lowest possible consumption of power and natural resources. Through the Participant Reporting and by continued engagement with the other stakeholders in the Code, Microsoft provides insight into the impact and trends it is seeing in its data centres.

In 1985, Microsoft first established its presence in Ireland with a manufacturing facility. Today the company employs 1,100 people in its EMEA Operations Centre, the European Development Centre, Dublin Data Centre and the company’s sales and marketing group for Ireland.

Microsoft is committed to supporting the government’s policy agenda as it seeks to reignite economic growth and create new employment. In addition to the company’s direct economic impact through its 1,100 employees and data centre investments, Microsoft has invested in the development of an economic impact report on the potential role that the cloud can play in Ireland’s renewal; is supporting over 400 technology start-ups through our BizSpark programme; and continues to invest significantly in helping students at all levels of education to reach their potential through the use of technology.